Joseph a



1. A. MARTIN & F. M. MACY.

METAL AuToMoBlLE T IRE. APPLICATION FILED UNE 2B|ll9l5 1.195.490. 'PMemeAAug 22,1916.

JWM/Kwai? l WWMWM-mm JOSEPH A. MILRTllSf AND FRANK M. EVIAGY, O?

' Murat' Ammannati-rien.

geccaton of Letters Patent.

Patented hier,

Application filed June 2S, 1915. Serial 1f.' o. 36,855.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, Josnrn A. Maurin .and FRAN-1i M. MACY, citizens of the United States, residing at Midas, in the county. of Elko, State of Nevada, have invented a new and useful Metal Automobile-Tire, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to resilient vehicle wheel tires and has as its object to provide a tire which will possess substantially the same resiliency as the. pneumatic tire and yet will not present the disadvantages attending the use of a. pneumatic tire such, for example, as punctures, blow-outs, etc.

It is one aim of the invention to so construct the tire that the same may be readily repaired whenever required and so that the tire will be yieldable at all points in its circumference and so that any portion thereof may yield without the remainder heing'a-ffected. y

Another aim of the invention is to so construct the tire that the sections thereof may be readily assembled and when assembled will not be liable to become disarranged even when subjected to violent impacts.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure l is a vertical transverse sectional view on the line 1-1 of Fig. EZ through the tire embodying;` the present invention. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary circumferential sectional view through the tire. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a wheel equipped with the tire.

In the drawings vfixed rim or felly of the wheel to which the tire isapplied. The tire includes an annular channel ymember whichis disposed to sur round the saidiixed rim, or felly and which comprises two annular sections .l having in-` wardly extending flanges which are designed to surround the outerv surface of the felly in the manner clearlyv shown in Fig. l of the drawings, and v vhichI are in turn provided with flanges which embrace the sides of the said folly and through which are se ouredloolts N, these bolts servingr to secure the sections J in assembled relation `and rigid upon the said folly. The body portions of the sections d occupy parallel 'planes and the channel in cross section is substantially Ll-shaped. For a purpose to be presently explained the opposite side walls of the channel member arelformed upon their opposing faces .and adjacent their outer' edges each with an annular rib d', the inner side of which is beveled as indica-ted at J2 the letter M indicates the i and also for a purpose to be presently en plained, hach rib is provided in its face 'which is presented toward the middle of the channel member, with a groove ,receiving` bearingq balls or rollers l.

ln addition to theV channel member above described the tire comprises an outer or tread portion which is made up of a nunr ber of assembled sections capable of suhstan tially independent movement radially i nA wai-diy against the tension of :ushioniupg springs, as will. be presently more specilieally pointed out. -Each ofthe said sections comprises a tread plate B which is transversely curved as shown in Fig. l, in addition to being curved from end to end to con forni to the circumferential curvatura of the tire as a whole ,and :.xssembled with each of the plates B are side plates C provided at their outer edges with outwardly extending inwardly inclined 'lianges C which` are riveted or otherwise secured to the ,lateral marginal portion of the respective plate l. ltiveted or otherwise secured as at Ci to the outer face of each plate B adjacent one end. thereof, is transverse baud A and adjacent the point of ,location of the securingr means C2 each plate l has its end portion oii'sei'; inwardly as indicated at C so as to lie spaced relation to the hand A and oy rei v.rence to Fig'. 2 of the drawings it will be oli-l Vserved tiat the other end of each of the plates l is slidably received within the socket thus formed het\.vcen the said offset portion Ci and band A of the next adjacent one of the plates l5 so that when the ser tions l); move inwardly radially under the 'force of impact the sections may move slidahly with relation to each other to permit of such yielding movement thereof. .lly reference to Fig. l, it will he observed that the aids of the hand A are bent dowruwrdly and inwardly as at C4 about the edges of the flanges C and the edges of the respectivo plate B.' ln order that the relative sliding; movement of the sections B may be cushioned, rubber strips P are arranged within the pocketsv formed between the offsets C3 and bands A and are adapted to be compressed by the initial movement of the end edges yof the plates B which. fit alidahiy within these pockets.

ln order to exclude dust and z.. from the interior of the tire, rubber filling sheets D are disposed against the outer faces oi the' side plates C and rest at their outer edges etv beneath the flanges C and at their inner edges within the outer edge portions of the 'sections J and against the outwardly pre 'sented edges of the rib J. its will be observed by reference to Figs. l and 2 of the drawings, the inner marginal portions of the side plates C are received Within the channel member or, in other words, inwardly of the side portions of the sections J. Each is provided with an arcuate rib S having a beveled outer edge portion S and provided in its outer face with a groove receiving bearing balls or rollers S2. The cushioning springs which will be presently described normally force the tread sections in an out ward direction and so that the beveled edges `oit their ribs S will rest against the beveled inner edges of the ribs J by reason of which engagement the outward movement of the tread sections is retarded. lt will also 'be observed by reference to Fig. 1 that the antifriction bearing elements I coperate with the side. plates C of the tread sections and that the anti-friction bearing elements S2 cooperate with the side portions of the sections J so that the radial movement of the tread l sections with relation to the channel member is attended with minimum frictional en gagemcnt between these parts.

The cushioning springs above referred to are indicated by the reference letter E and at their outer ends bear against the tread plate B and at their inner ends seat within ai, annular boss L formed uponthe inner wall of the channel member. The outer portions oi? the springs are prevented from displacement with relation to the tread members by means of integral guide plates K which project inwardly radially from the tread plates B. Bolts ll are secured through the sides of the sections J at suitable inter- 'tread members in an voutward direction.

2. In a vehicle Wheel tire of the class described, a relatively fixed channel member, tread members arranged in a. series surrounding the channel member and each comprising a tread portion having an inwardly offset end, a band secured transversely to the said end of each tread member and extending in spaced relation to the said oiset end, whereby to form a socket slidably receiving the adjacent end of the next adjacent tread member, means housed within. the said chan nel member and the said tread members and yieldably holding the tread members in an outward direction, and ay yieldable filling within each oi' said sockets.

3. In a vehicle wheel tire of the class described, a relatively liXed channel member provided upon 'the inner face of each side wall with an annularlrib, tread members ar ranged in a series surrounding the channel member and havingl each a tread portion and spaced side portions, the side portions fitting slidably between. the side walls oit the channel member and being each provided with a rib arranged to cooperate with the rib upon the respective side wall of the channel member whereby to limit the outH ward movement of the tread members, a sheet oi yieldable material disposed against the outer face oi each side portion of each tread member and between the tread portion ci thc said tread member and the rib upon the corresponding side wall of the channel member, .and n'ieans housed within the channel member and the said tread members yieldably holding the members in an outward direction.

JUSEPH A. MARTIN. FRANK lvl. MACY. Witnesses Jenn W'. Coni', Mrs. Amrum: A. FRIMEAUX. 

